The Best American Travel Writing 2002

This particular volume is part of a long-running annual series, and its distinction often lies in the specific guest editor's curatorial vision for that year, which shapes the selection of essays and the overall thematic coherence. The 2002 edition, edited by Frances Mayes, tends to feature a blend of established and emerging voices, offering a snapshot of the travel writing landscape at that specific moment.

Each essay within "The Best American Travel Writing 2002" is a standalone piece by a different author, allowing readers to dip in and out of the collection without needing to follow a continuous narrative. There is no overarching plot or character arc connecting the individual contributions.